Spooky Season in Milwaukee

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Haunted MKE

When a chill comes into the autumn air, it’s the perfect time to get a chill up your spine.

Why Milwaukee?

Local. Anna Lardinois, knows Milwaukee history like the back of her (very spooky) hand.

Happy fall, y’all! The season for pumpkin spice, apple cider donuts, and majestic displays of colorful foliage have finally arrived. But make no bones about it, October is the most ghoulish time of the year, spooky season is here. As your Halloween HQ, you can find endless thrills and chills throughout the Milwaukee area to fill your month with holiday spirits. Join us on a jack-o-lantern-laden journey full of family fun, historical haunts, and frightful fall festivities…if you dare!

Spooky Tours

I scream, you scream, we all scream at local haunts and tours! Throughout the month of October, City Tours MKE offers a Milwaukee Haunted History City Tour and Pub Crawl. Telling the bone-chilling tales at stops throughout the city, the two-hour tour tells the tales of our city’s urban legends and ghost stories that will make you wonder just what is going “bump” in the night. Bring the whole family on the Haunted History City Tour or pick up some liquid courage on your way with the pub crawl tour.

For a tour of Milwaukee’s forgotten past, lurking in the shadows of history, check out A spook-takcular night of storytelling with Gothic Milwaukee at Alverno College’s Pitman Theatre. Join local paranormal expert Anna for an evening of delightfully macabre tales of Milwaukee’s most iconic haunts. From shipwrecked souls on the shores of Lake Michigan to some of the city’s most eerie specters, the spellbinding storytelling of Anna will bring some of Milwaukee’s past to life and make your imagination run wild.

Experience the spine-tingling thrill of exploring an iconic local relic in complete and utter darkness at the Pabst Mansion this fall with the mansion’s Illuminating the Dark Tours. Offered after hours on weekends and Halloween, this special tour is only offered in October and allows you to explore the dimly lit mansion to view seldom-seen corners and compartments of the historic building. See the Pabst Mansion in a whole new light, just a keep an eye out for the captain!

One of the five most haunted bars in the nation, explore the former speakeasy’s sordid past with Hangman Tours of Shaker’s Cigar Bar for an hour of eerie tales, haunted spaces, and close-up experiences with spirits themselves. As you make your way around the building, hear the tales of the specters roaming the halls and just maybe experience one for yourself. Please be advised, while highly entertaining, these tours are more appropriate for adults.

What would Halloween be without a haunted house? The Hill Has Eyes in Franklin boasts more than 45 acres and four frightening experiences for more than 60 minutes of sheer terror. Begin at the alarming Failed Escape before shuddering through the Hunger Hold and knee-knocking Carni Vore before finally finishing at the Dead End. Each with their different brand of terror, the four haunts will more than satiate your haunted house itch…until next year. If 60 minutes of pure fear doesn’t sound like your type of night out, The Rock’s Milky Way Drive-In hosts Friday night Fright Nights all October long. Enjoy classics like Beetlejuice, Scream, and Halloween to enjoy a horror movie from the comfort of your car. Not a fan of the genre? The drive-in offers family-friendly films before the gore starts!

For the Goblins-in-Training

Get your family into the Halloween spirit without the scare.

Black cats, pumpkins, and…elephants? Family fun abounds at the Milwaukee County Zoo and the Racine Zoo. Fun for the whole family, Milwaukee County Zoo’s Boo at the Zoo is a wholesome event to get in the Halloween spirit. Kids are invited to trick or treat their way through 10 different sweet spots found in the “Adventure Africa” exhibits before a not-so-scary train ride, spooky science station, and a dazzling light show sure to make the whole family go batty! Taking place from October 20^th through the 23^rd at 5:00 p.m. t0 9:00 p.m., bring a bag for candy, your costumes, and enjoy the festivities!

The Racine Zoo’s Boo at the Zoo takes place from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 29^th for more family fun. Bring your little ghosts, goblins, and ghouls to the Racine Zoo for a day of trick-or-treating, holiday-inspired cookie decorating, arts-and crafts, bounce house, and more haunted surprises!

Still scratching your skull for a way to celebrate Halloween? Fear not! Don your best Halloween costume and head over to The Yard for the Bayshore BOOgie Bash and Costume Contest. Now in its third year, dress up the whole family and boogie with Halloween-themed fairytale princesses, giant robots, food trucks, and laser shows before the costume contest at 6:00 p.m. in this not-so-scary event.

On October 26^th through the 31^st, Whitefish Bay will once again host its annual Great Pumpkin Festival, featuring live music, food vendors, and, of course, hundreds of magnificently carved pumpkins by local students and artists alike. Wander the aisles, enjoy a cup of hot cider, and find your favorite carving in the family-friendly event at Ghoulhouse Park.
For more pumpkin-themed fun, visit Milwaukee Downtown’s Jack-O-Lantern Jubilee on

October 29^th from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at Red Arrow Park. Perfect for kids ages 2-8, the first 500 people in attendance will get the chance to pick their very own pumpkin for free from downtown’s only pumpkin pack. Then celebrate Halloween with everyone’s favorite animated movie characters alongside members of the Milwaukee Fire Department and Police Department. Grab your pumpkin and enjoy a day of face painting, storytelling, and a book sale.
Learn about some of nature’s spooking and misunderstood animals in a self-guided adventure full of fun learning activities for the whole family at the Schlitz Audubon Nature Center’s Species Spooktacular. Wear your costume as you enjoy a nature-themed scavenger hunt around the wooded and prairie-lined trails. All kids who complete the scavenger hunt will receive a sweet treat.

On October 19^th, the South 27^th Street Business District/Historic Highway 41 is hosting its second annual Trunk-N-Treat in the Wilson Senior Center Parking Lot. Dress in your favorite costume then trick-or-treat your way through the festively decorated cars in this fun Halloween event from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.

Dia De Los Muertos Celebrations

As the Halloween fun winds to an end, the Dia de los Muertos festivities are just getting started. Paying homage to the dearly departed, the holiday is a fun celebration of life and a remembrance of late friends and family members. Celebrate the holiday at Latino Arts, Inc. in [neighborhood] for the opening reception of the Day of the Dead Ofrendas exhibition on October 28^th at 5:00 p.m. Featuring exhibitions from The Mexican Consulate, University School of Milwaukee, and other local artists, the installation will feature alters and ofrendas (offerings). The exhibition will be on view from October 20^th to November 18^th.

Then, on Saturday, October 29^th, Forest Home Cemetery & Arboretum is hosting a free family-friendly Dia de los Muertos event that includes a 5k run/walk through the cemetery that is the forever resting place of Milwaukee royalty. From some of the city’s earliest beer barons to many of the city’s mayors, this unique event allows you to stride alongside the headstones on a winding road through the massive graveyard. After the race is run, the Dia de los Muertos festival kicks off at 10:00 a.m. with food trucks,

Looking for more thrills, chills, and family fun this Halloween? Find all your favorite tricks and treats here.

#VISITMKE

Fall is in the air, and as the seasons change, tag #VISITMKE to share your fall adventure with us!